Information for schools

Information for schools

Each education establishment in East Lothian has a named link educational psychologist who supports them in meeting the needs of a wide range of children and young people. Educational psychologists follow professional standards as determined by the British Psychological Society and the Health and Care Professionals Council.

We deliver the service through a time allocation model, schools receive a pattern of regular visits based on their school roll and level of deprivation.

The service fulfils its statutory function of giving advice to parents, schools and the local authority regarding children with additional support needs through the delivery of 5 core functions:

  • consultation
  • assessment
  • intervention
  • training
  • research

Key activities include:

  1. providing consultation (this will generally be the starting point for engagement with the EP)
  2. contributing to assessment and intervention for individual children and young people
  3. working collaboratively with other agencies
  4. building capacity in schools, families and multi-agency partners to meet children and young people’s needs and raise attainment
  5. supporting key authority initiatives to contribute to positive outcomes for children and young people

For more information on our team please see our Meet the Team Page.

Requests for Assistance (RfAs) for individual children and young people

If you have concerns about a child or young person that have been formally recorded through the Child Planning Framework, and measures have been put in place at the universal level that have not sufficiently addressed the concerns then a RfA can be made to our service. You will be required to ask parents and carers to consent to this process. In most situations, where a young person is aged 12 years or over their consent will also be required.

The RfA form can be accessed from the GIRFEC in East Lothian website: GIRFEC in East Lothian - Partner Agencies. The planning documentation from the Universal Level should be attached to the RfA, in the form of one of the following:

  • Universal Wellbeing Plan
  • Child/Young Persons Plan
  • Looked After Care Plan

These forms can also be found on the GIRFEC in East Lothian website GIRFEC in East Lothian - Planning Documents, along with general information about the Child Planning Framework GIRFEC in East Lothian.

All new RfAs should be sent to the EPS mailbox: educationalpsychologyservice@eastlothian.gov.uk.

RfAs are processed centrally, on a regular basis, by a panel. When an RfA is accepted the person making the request (this is often school staff), the parents/carers and where appropriate and the young person will receive a letter advising them of this. The case will then be allocated to an educational psychologist who will contact the relevant member of staff to agree a timescale for a response.

A consultation will then be offered to explore concerns and agree on immediate strategies to help improve things for the child or young person. If it is agreed that further work is required (such as observation in class, assessment of learning, longer term consultation or attendance at a meeting e.g. child planning meeting), this will be agreed as an outcome of the consultation process.

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